Signaling device for automobiles



July 8, 1930. R. P. COLEMAN 1,770,299

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES med Feb.1, 195oA Patented July` 8, 1930 its 'rA PATENT lRUSSELL P. COLEMAN, or MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA SIG-NALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Application vand February 1, 1930. seriai No. 425,261.

This invention Yrelates to improvements in signaling devices for automobiles particularly of a type which may be readily mounted in the window opening adjacent the drivers seat and be operated from within the automobile. Y

An object of thisinvention is to provide a signaling device adapted to be mounted in a window opening of an automobile, near the top of the door, and constructed in such a manner that it may be mounted without detracting in any degree from the appearance of the vehicle.

vA. further object of this invention is `to provide asignal having a minimum number of parts which can be easily and quickly assembled, and manufactured at a low cost.

@ther objects of this invention will appear from'the following detailed description of. the device with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which u Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion .of an automobile having the signaling device of the invention mounted therein;y j

Fig. 2 is al view from the inside .of the car of the'l upper .portion ofthe door having vthe signaling device mounted in its window opening; Y

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; ,y Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the signaling device showing the various elements in disassembled relationship; y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a i rod having at one end a portion 2 formed to receive a wrench or pliers and also having an extension 3 rformed with a rounded end 4 socket 13 to receive the other screw-threaded end 10 ofthe rod 8.

AA nut 14 is mounted on the threaded portion 10 of the rod 8, and is provided with a boss 15. A. signal member 16 has an opening v17 therein of a diameter to receive and rotate on the boss 157 and also has a signal arm 18 extending in one direction and an operating lever 19 extending in the opposite'drection therefrom. 1

Asegmental ratchet member 2O formed ot any suitable material hasy a tongue extending therefrom opposite to its curved edge. Said tongue has an opening 22 of a diameter slightrly larger than the threaded portion 10 of the rod8, through which opening said threaded portion l() extends. The curved edge of the vratchetmember 2,0 is bent laterallyl as at 24,

and is provided with notches 25 suitably lspaced apart to receive and hold the arm 19 in variousadjusted positions. l A'washer 26 is mounted on the threaded portion 10 of the rod 8 between the signal member 16 and the tongue of the ratchet member20. A; pair olf-tongues 23 project from' that face-of the lratchet member 2O which is directed toward the bearing member 12 for a purpose to appear later and a pair of pins 42 project from the opposite face of `said ratchet member and extend through openings in abar41 which overlies the arm 19'ofthe signal member 16. Springs on the pins 42 between the bar 41 and nuts mounted on the screw-threaded ends of the pins 42 press the bar 41 against the arm 19 andhold said arm in'close engagement withthe laterally bent curved edge of the ratchet member 20.

The signaling vdevice above described is Y adapted to be mounted within the upper portion of awindow frame 27 of a vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the window glass 28 is shown as partially lowered.

In mounting the signaling device in the i window opening of a motor vehicle the jamb nut 11 is mounted on the threaded portion 9 and turned back approximately as far as it will go. The threaded portion 9 of the rod 8 is then screwed into the bore 7 of the rod 1 approximately as far as it will go.

The nut 14 is then mounted on the threaded portion 10 of the rod 8 and said portion of the rod is inserted through the opening 17 of the signal member, the washer 16 and the tongue of the ratchet member 20. The bearing member 12 is then screwed on the end of the rod 8, the bar 41 is mounted on the pins 42 of the ratchet member 20 against the arm 19, and the springs and nuts are mounted on said pins. The end 4 of the rod 1 is then inserted in the socket 5 of bearing member 6 and the latter member is inserted in the rear groove 29 of the frame 27 near the top thereof, and the bearing member 12 is inserted in the front groove 30 of the frame, whereupon a wrench is applied to the portion 2 of the rod 1 and the rod 1 is rotated in a direction to unscrew the internally threaded portion 7 of said rod from the portion 9 of the rod 8. This will move the bearing members 6 and 12 apart and cause their outer ends to firmly bear, respectively, against the bottoms of the window grooves 29 and 30 and secure the signaling device in place. The tongues 23 of the ratchet member 20 will bear against the inner face of the window frame and prevent rotation of said member on the rod 8.

Means are provided to cover the rods 1 and 8 when the signaling device is mounted in a window opening and to fill the space between the upper edge of the window glass and the top of the window opening when the window glass is moved up to closed position.

The means shown for this purpose is constructed as follows A pair of blocks 31 and 32, of the same length as the width of the window opening, each has a groove in one of its faces, said grooves being complemental to one another and shaped to receive the rods 1 and 8. The blocks are secured together by screws 36 with the rods 1 and 8 seated in said grooves. A longitudinal tongue 33 is formed on the upper edge of each of said blocks, the tongue of one block bearing against the tongue of the other block and said tongues together filling the upper groove 40 of the window opening. Each of said blocks also has the lower longitudinal corner adjacent the other block cut away to form a shoulder and these shoulders together form a longitudinal groove 34 at the lower edge of said blocks to receive the upper edge of the window when the latter is raised to closed position. It is obvious that where the top of the window opening is curved at its ends the upper corners of the blocks 31 and 32 may be correspondingly curved.

The outer ends of the bearing members 6 and 12 are preferably concaved to form sharp edges 37 and 38 to bite into the bottoms of the grooves 29 and 30 of the door frame and thus firmly hold them in place.

The free end of the arm 18 of the signal member 16 is preferably shaped to resemble a hand and the notches 25 in the ratchet 20 are so arranged that when the arm 19 is seated in the lowermost notch the free end of the arm 18 will be in its uppermost position, when the arm 19 is seated in the intermediate notch the free end of the arm 18 will be in its intermediate position and when the arm 19 is seated in the upper notch the free end of the arm will be in its lowermost position, to indicate stop, left turn7 and right turn, respectively. The operator merely moves the lever 19 into the desired notch 25.

It is to be understood that alterations of structural details may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim is 1. In combination with the window opening of an automobile, a signal comprising a plurality of longitudinally adjustable rod members, connecting means at the outer ends of the rods for mounting in the window opening, and a signal arm supported by one of the rod members.

2. In combination with the window opening of an automobile, a'signal comprising a plurality of longitudinally eXtensible rod members, means carried by the free ends of said rods insertable in and engageable with the opposite sides of the window opening, and a signal arm supported by one of the rod members.

3. A signal device for mounting in a Window opening of an automobile, comprising a plurality of rod members telescopically arranged in threaded relationship to each other, fittings at the outer ends of the rods for connection with the opposite sides of a window opening, and a movable signal and ratchet element supported by one of the rods.

4. A signal device for mounting a window opening of an automobile, comprising a plurality of rods telescopically arranged in threaded relationship to each other, means carried by the outer ends of the rods for engagement with the opposite sides of a window opening, a movable signal and ratchet element supported by one of the rods, one of said iittings having a socket in which the free end of one rod is ournalled and the other fitting being securedto the free end of the other rod.

5. A signal device for mounting in a window opening of an automobile, comprising a plurality of longitudinally eXtensible rods, fittings carried by the free ends of the rods for engagement with opposite sides of the window opening, a movable signal mounted on one of the rods, one of the fittings having a socket in which the free end of one rod is journalled, and covering means for the rod members.

6. A signal device for mounting in a window opening of an automobile, comprising a pair of rods having interengaging means operable by the axial rotation of one of said rods for adjusting said rods longitudinally, means carried by the free ends of said rods for engagement, respectively with the opposite sides of a Window opening, a signal member mounted to rock on one of said rods7 means for securing said signal member in any one of a plurality of positions and covering means for said rods. v

7. A signal device according to claim 6 wherein the covering means for the rods comprises a pair of blocks shapedto lit the upper portion of a Window opening and secured together with the rods seated in grooves in their opposed faces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set` my hand.

RUSSELL `P. COLEMAN.

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